The Schengen area

Schengen cooperation evolved from an initial plan between a handful of governments into a fully fledged EU policy area in the following stages.

• 1985. Belgium, West Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (5 of the then 10 European Economic Community countries, now the EU Member States) sign an agreement, in the Luxembourg village of Schengen, on the gradual abolition of their internal border controls.
• 1990. The same five countries sign the Schengen Convention supplementing the agreement and laying down the measures and safeguards to put the policy of no internal border controls into effect.
• 1995. The implementation of the Schengen agenda begins with the participation of seven EU Member States.
• 1997. The Treaty of Amsterdam brought the Schengen acquis within the EU’s legal framework.

• Starting with five founding members, the Schengen area now includes all the Member States – except for Ireland and Cyprus – together with four European Free Trade Association countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
• Since 1 January 2023, checks on persons at internal land and sea borders between Croatia and the other countries in the Schengen area have been lifted and the Schengen acquis has fully applied to Croatia (Council Decision (EU) 2022/2451).
• Since 31 March 2024, the rules of the Schengen acquis have fully applied to Bulgaria and Romania, and the checks at internal air and sea borders have been lifted. The Council of the European Union, at a later date, is to take a decision, acting by unanimity, lifting checks on people at internal land borders with Greece, Hungary and between Bulgaria and Romania.

Internal border checks in practice

• Anyone, whatever their nationality, can cross an internal border within the Schengen area without being checked.
• National authorities can carry out police spot checks either at the border or in border areas when these are based on general information and experience and are not systematic passport controls.
• Individuals are required to carry certain travel documents, depending on whether they are EU nationals, non-EU family members or non-EU citizens.
• A Schengen country may exceptionally reintroduce border controls, initially for up to 30 days, if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security. It must inform other Schengen countries, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the public.

The Schengen area has gradually tightened controls on its external borders, consolidating them into a single set of rules . These rules now cover:

• the manner in which checks of people crossing an EU external border should be conducted according to the Schengen Borders Code;
• the harmonisation of entry conditions with a common visa policy and rules on short stay visas (up to 3 months);
• greater police cooperation, with rights of cross-border surveillance and hot pursuit;
• stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and the transfer of criminal judgments between jurisdictions.

The Schengen information system (SIS)

This large-scale computer database :

• supports external border control and law enforcement cooperation between Schengen countries;
• was created in 1995 and subsequently expanded, most recently in 2018 because of the new migration and security challenges;
• contains information on:
  • suspected criminals,
  • individuals who may not have the right to enter or stay in the EU,
  • missing persons,
  • stolen, misappropriated or lost property;
  • border controls,
  • police and customs checks,
  • public prosecutions in criminal proceedings and judicial inquiries prior to charge,
  • visas and residence permits;

  Visa information system (VIS)

  Countries applying to join the Schengen area must meet certain conditions and must be able to:

  • control their external borders and issue uniform Schengen visas;
  • cooperate with other national law enforcement agencies to ensure a high level of security;
  • apply the common set of Schengen rules (known as the Schengen acquis ), relating to such things as carrying out land, sea and air border controls, issuing visas, supporting police cooperation and protecting personal data;
  • use the Schengen information system.

  DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

  The Schengen Agreement, originally involving seven Member States, entered into force on 26 March 1995, abolishing internal border controls.

  BACKGROUND

  For further information, see:

  • Schengen area (European Commission).

  MAIN DOCUMENTS

  The Schengen acquis – Agreement between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders (OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, pp. 13–18).

  The Schengen acquis – Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders (OJ L 239, 22.9.2000, pp. 19–62).

  RELATED DOCUMENTS

  Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, pp. 1–131).

  Regulation (EU) 2019/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems in the field of borders and visa and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2016/399, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240, (EU) 2018/1726 and (EU) 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Decisions 2004/512/EC and 2008/633/JHA (OJ L 135, 22.5.2019, pp. 27–84).

  Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2019/817 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

  Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals (OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, pp. 1–13).

  Regulation (EU) 2018/1861 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of border checks, and amending the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, and amending and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 (OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, pp. 14–55).

  Regulation (EU) 2018/1862 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the establishment, operation and use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) in the field of police cooperation and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, amending and repealing Council Decision 2007/533/JHA, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1986/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Decision 2010/261/EU (OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, pp. 56–106).

  Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L 303, 28.11.2018, pp. 39–58).

  Regulation (EU) 2018/1726 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 on the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), and amending Regulation (EC) No 1987/2006 and Council Decision 2007/533/JHA and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1077/2011 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, pp. 99–137).

  Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) (OJ L 77, 23.3.2016, pp. 1–52).

  Council Regulation (EU) No 1053/2013 of 7 October 2013 establishing an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to verify the application of the Schengen acquis and repealing the Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 setting up a Standing Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen (OJ L 295, 6.11.2013, pp. 27–37).

  Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) (OJ L 243, 15.9.2009, pp. 1–58).

  Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 concerning the Visa Information System (VIS) and the exchange of data between Member States on short-stay visas (VIS Regulation) (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, pp. 60–81).